Newcastle may have been on the losing side on Sunday, but the team; the club and the city; can hold their heads up high after playing a starring role in a compelling piece of footballing theatre.
The stage was set early in the day as Newcastle unveiled a statute of former Manager Sir Bobby Robson hours before kick-off. Sir Bobby's spirit will always inhabit St James' Park, but the addition of a physical tribute to the great man at the famous old stadium seemed apt ahead of the type of mammoth clash that Robson would have relished both as a player and as a Manager.
Undoubtedly watching from the heavens, Sir Bobby will have been engrossed by what he saw, as Newcastle and City stood toe to toe in a gripping battle of wills that would either effectively decide the destination of the Premier League or add more power to the Magpies' Champions League surge.
Artistry and gritty determination were in plentiful supply, with City, spurred on by the technical sorcery of messrs David Silva, Carlos Tevez and Sergio Aguero pressed and probed to find a way through the Newcastle back line. The home defence - as it has done on many occasions this season - proved to be an impenetrable force for the much of the contest however, with the agile reflexes of Goalkeeper Tim Krul supported by a back four well versed in the 'all hands to the pump' routine.
In the end, it took some brute force from midfielder Yaya Toure to break down the Newcastle wall, the Ivorian firing in two well taken goals to put Roberto Mancini's side on the cusp of their first league crown since 1968, when the likes of Francis Lee and Mike Summerbee secured the title after a dramatic 4-3 triumph at St James' Park.
The appearance of the stadium and the game of football have changed dramatically since that day, but the equation remained the same for City, win and they would be virtually ensured of the title, with only a home game against struggling Queens Park Rangers standing in their way.
Perhaps motivated by history, the visitors started the contest the brighter of the two sides, the ever reliable Krul forced into low stops from Silva and Aguero. Newcastle were not to be kept quiet however, and after half an hour without registering an effort on goal, they finally managed to get hold of the ball, Demba Ba's long range effort grazed flew just over the bar before Joe Hart produced a fine near post save from the Magpies' enigmatic midfield maestro Hatem Ben Arfa.
Despite the deafening jeers of the Tyneside audience, City dominated possession and played with the confidence and flow of a team that believed they could secure glory. The Citizens had their best opportunity to hit the front just before half time when Silva played in Gareth Barry one on one with Krul. The England midfielder looked certain to score, but Newcastle's defiance was exemplified by the efforts of Captain Fabricio Coloccini and Davide Santon who each blocked on the line to deny City the lead.
City upped the ante and pressed with increasing vigour and motivation after the interval, but as the second half wore on they appeared a frustrated and slightly bewildered outfit as they struggled to fashion as many goal scoring opportunities as they had done in the opening period. Newcastle's sterling defensive performance was roared on by an approving public and it looked as if City's cross-town rivals Manchester United were to be handed the initiative in the title chase.
Mancini had an ace up his sleeve however, and with half an hour to play he sent on the pantomime villain of the day, Nigel De Jong, in place of Samir Nasri. De Jong, whose tackle broke Ben Arfa's leg in two places back in the autumn of 2010, received a chorus of boos from the Newcastle faithful upon his introduction to the pitch.
It was the type of reception reserved most recently for the likes of Michael Owen and Andy Carroll -two figures who were chastised on their return to St James' Park after leaving the club for pastures new - but the move proved to be an inspired one, as De Jong's presence in the holding midfield role allowed Toure to be unleashed further forward to quite devastating effect.
At first the change seemed to have galvanised Newcastle, particularly Ben Arfa, who soon after the substitution jinked his way into the City penalty area before lashing a shot into the side netting. However, just a few minutes later Mancini's decision was vindicated as Toure escaped the attentions of Yohan Cabaye to collect a lay-off from Aguero before curling a well placed shot past the diving Krul and into the bottom corner to put the visitors in front.
It was the first goal that Newcastle had conceded in 497 minutes of football at St James' Park, and it should have been swiftly followed by a second as Aguero missed wide after latching on to Silva's delicately chipped through ball.
Newcastle almost made City pay for Aguero's lack of accuracy when Cisse headed well over from close range, and a grandstand finish looked increasingly likely as the Magpies pushed further into the City half.
It was not to be however, as Newcastle fell victim to the sucker punch. Cabaye was dispossessed stretching to retain the ball in midfield, and this enabled City to counter at alarming speed before the ball fell to Toure inside the box, who finished from close range to clinch a hard fought win for the prospective Champions.
The home side did search for a consolation, and Cisse came close as his low shot was well saved by the excellent Hart, but it proved to be too little too late as the final whistle was met jubilantly by the travelling City support.
Despite the defeat Newcastle's efforts were met with warm appreciation from the home crowd, and the majority of the stadium stayed behind to applaud the squad on what has been a magnificent season for the club.
By virtue of Liverpool's 4-1 win over Chelsea, the Magpies can now finish no lower than 5th, and go in to the final day of the Premier League season knowing a win could see them secure Champions League football after Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur could only manage draws with Norwich City and Aston Villa respectively.
Alan Pardew and his side should take great pride from their performance against City, and they will surely head into their final day clash with Everton with nothing to fear. If Newcastle showed one thing against Manchester City last Sunday, it is that they can compete with Europe's elite, a victory at Goodison Park this Sunday could see them win the right to do just that on a weekly basis next season.
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